To Save Whose Life?
by Susan
Power of One
Why do 97% of the customers reviewing To Save a Life on movietickets.com give the film a four to five out of five-star rating? While not a perfect film, its rich content makes it easy to forgive minor flaws. I found it so compelling that even after a second viewing, my entire body ached from the white-knuckle dramatic tension.
For starters, this low-budget indie film isn’t an embarrassment of sentimental dreck, as many “Christian” films are. In the words of one reviewer, “The production values are the best and least cheesy since The Passion and the music is great.” Moreover, instead of the usual one-dimensional, perfect Christians, we see characters in a range of commitment levels, including agnostic, seeker, holier-than-thou, and in-name-only, although a few but growing number are genuinely transformed by Jesus. Such sophistication was summarized by a reviewer, who said, “Everyone needed to be rescued from something, not just the loners.”
For me at least, and I suspect for many of us, the core issue of the film resonates: when I mistreat (snub, ignore, put down) another person, the consequences can be dire for both of us. I can become callous and/or guilt-ridden, and the other person can suffer pain to the point of taking their own life, possibly along with others’. The power of one is clear: “If every school could have their own Jake Taylor…this generation could be amazing,” says another reviewer.
For parents and teachers, the very edginess of this not-dumbed-down effort makes the message credible, and breaks open the opportunity for conversation with kids and peers. It can be hard to watch some of the grittier scenes with kids; the PG-13 MPAA rating is well-earned. The drinking/drug scenes are happily raunchy, the dance/bedroom sequence undeniably sexy, the death montage intense, and so on, but there’s nothing gratuitous about it. As one reviewer said, “Don’t send your kids to this movie…take them!”
Other reviewers commented: insightful, worldview-changing, authentic/realistic, accurate yet exhausting, entertaining, worth owning/viewing multiple times. “Trusting God doesn’t automatically make everything turn out better.” Challenging, unsugar-coated message of inclusion and anti-hypocrisy clarifies life priorities with an unexpected depth that applies across age groups. Evokes a range of emotional responses, but not in a way that feels overly manipulated. Offers hope within hopelessness as personal flaws reveal God’s love and grace. An important message, but not a “feel good” movie.
See it, share it, live it. And comment on it! 
Tags: christian, clique, columbine, gunn high school, Jesus, movie, Palo Alto, peer pressure, suicide, To Save a Life
February 4th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
This movie seemed to try to cram a lot of life into a short bit of time. At times I thought I was watching the series 24, where I felt like I could almost predict the next impending disaster, but then the pace is probably more true for today’s teens, who have to face intense problems rapidly, and without past experience to draw on like a status quoe adult.